John tells us in verse 18 that from this point on they were trying even harder to kill him. This seems to imply that the persecution mentioned here is very intense. Worse yet, why does John inform us that the man subsequently seeks out the Jews to tell them that the One they are after is Jesus? Second, the alleged miraculous healings at the pool of Bethesda are not like any other healing I find in the Bible. Youre not allowed to carry your cot today., 11The man replied, The man who made me well told me to pick up my cot and walk., 12The Jews asked him, Who is the man who told you to pick it up and walk? 13But the man who had been healed didnt know who Jesus was. If it was the feast, the reference here would most likely be to the Passover. None of the best and most ancient manuscripts have these words which accordingly, have not been retained in the A.R.V. God may very well manifest His grace through physical affliction. 25 But this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, They hated me without reason (John 15:18-25). Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 36But I have something that testifies more favorably on my behalf than Johns testimony. Why would we suppose there were miracles on tap for those who waited for an angel to trouble the waters at the pool of Bethesda when this was not a time for miracles? While on his way to a festival, Jesus met a man that was lame for 38 years. 251 Indeed, the verb behind answered (apekrinato) is in the aorist middlein John, found only here and in v. 19 (the aorist deponent passive, aprkrithe, might be expected). There, the disciples automatically assumed that the mans blindness was the result of someones sin. The pool of Bethesda in 1911. 2:5). Signs and wonders have a diminishing effect. . And then, because Jesus has performed such a miracle, they begin to persecute the Son of God.255 When Jesus points out that this is exactly who He is, they redouble their efforts to kill Him. Here, my friend, is the most important point of all. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time . You should believe them because they are true, because they are spoken by the Son of God. Lets give this man every benefit of the doubt as we work our way through the story. Lest we think lawmakers wish to spend all their time making up silly laws, let me suggest that they must do so because of whacky folks like you and me. April 11, 2014. Men are always unworthy of the grace God sovereignly bestows upon them. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 253 In the Greek text, the word translated save is the word often used to describe our Lords work of healing men (see, for example, Matthew 8:25; 9:21-22; Mark 3:4; 5:23). As we begin our study of chapter 5 and witness the wonderful works of our Lord precipitating intense reaction to Him, let us listen and learn those lessons which God has here for us. A certain man who has been sick for 38 years was there, the nature of the sickness was not specified but from the response of the man to Jesus, it seems that the sickness has made him unable to walk and the sickness looks incurable. There is a specific sense in which God has been at work from the time of creation on, bringing about salvation for fallen men. Thus, no one has the right to complain if God does not heal them. We therefore learn to make our rules more and more specific, lest our child fail to behave as we intended. But those who have done evil will come back to life and will be judged. They hardly seem to notice or care that the man is walkingthe paralytic has been healed! ), 14Later, Jesus met the man in the temple courtyard and told him, Youre well now. He warns him not to sin further, lest something worse happen to him. If one is walking along on the Sabbath and discovers that he is carrying something in his pocket, he has several courses of action so as not to violate the Sabbath. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed every day at the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate so he could ask for money from those going into the temple courts. Does Jesus not care about these sick people? He was waiting at the water's edge for years hoping to find healing. You will recall that while the keeping of the Sabbath is the Fourth Commandment, the historical basis for the Sabbath is what God did at creation: 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Not only did he break the laws about the day of resta holy day, but also he made himself equal to God when he said repeatedly that God was his Father. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 34 So he healed many sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. Mere men can contribute nothing to this working. It is Gods work. Jesus has chosen me from among Many Read John 5:1-4 The Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John record 34 Miracles that Jesus said to have performed during his earthly ministry. This healing He offers to all who will receive Him as the Lamb of God, as the One who died in the sinners place, bearing the guilt and penalty for their sins. 39You study the Scriptures in detail because you think you have the source of eternal life in them. . 241-242. Stop sinning so that something worse doesnt happen to you.. Christ knew this man could not walk and was lowered into place by the pool, hopelessly waiting for a miracle. John prepared the way for Jesus, but we are specifically told that he performed no signs (John 10:41). Jesus does not say, Our Father is working until now, and I too am working. He says, My Father is working until now, and I too am working.252 The inference is very clear: Jesus is claiming that God is His Father; He is claiming to be God. The Jews therefore object, and persecute him for it. The pool (or, in reality, the reservoir which formed it) was laid bare in the year 1888 in connection with the repair of the church of St. Anne, in n.e. 18 If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. Our Lord seeks him out, asking him if he wants to become well. 235 William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. It is offered to all who will receive it. 36 Simon and his companions searched for him. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. Finally, we see in our text a beautiful example of sovereign grace. Jesus heals him in spite of this, but then returns to inform him that He knows about the sin, and that he must give it up or face the possibility of greater consequences. Nevertheless, it was their interpretation of these texts which led to the extreme and hypocritical applications they drew from them. By ch. 1. These Jews have already determined that Jesus must be put to death. I find the section dealing with discovered articles (pp. My judgments are right because I dont try to do what I want but what the one who sent me wants. Jesus can help those who want to be . All rights reserved. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Pressing this point further, notice that our Lord ministers to this ailing man, knowing he will not come to faith. in 1971. 32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. In the other, Jesus cured a crippled man lying on a mat who had been unable to walk for 38 years. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. Morris adds this regulation regarding work on the Sabbath: Mishnah, Shab. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 8Jesus told the man, Get up, pick up your cot, and walk. 9The man immediately became well, picked up his cot, and walked. The Concise A to Z Guide to Finding It in the Bible, Little Girls Bible Storybook for Mothers and Daughters. We do not know which feast brought Jesus up to Jerusalem (see footnote 16). 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. Therefore, the least needy would probably be the one cured, while all the rest struggle to get out of the pool, get back to their stations, and await their next chance. He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3, NKJV). But he may take vinegar with his food in the ordinary course of affairs, and the Rabbis philosophically concluded, if he is healed he is healed (Shab. In the time of our Lord it had five porticos or covered colonnades where the sick could rest, protected from inclement weather.235, Multitudes of the physically infirmed are gathered around this pool. 6 evoke superficial acclaim (6:14-15, 26), that allegiance cannot endure Jesus teaching: even many of his disciples abandon him (6:66). That happened on a day of resta holy day. In each and every Gospel, Jesus is accused of violating the Sabbath. 248 Morris points out (p. 307, fn. He blames this failure on others, since no one will help him into the pool, and others beat him to it. Do you believe this? Jesus broke that silence. First, I must remind you that this question is not entirely academic. The man waits by the pool, hoping for such a healing. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. Believing on Him is the only way to heaven. He cares about our sickness and our suffering. I have often heard someone say, Just who do you think you are? Jesus tells these Jewish leaders who He is, and they do not like it at all. Actually, the Sabbath controversy is short-lived in John 5, though it will be taken up again in chapters 7 (verses 22-23) and 9 (verse 16). This man could have found a way to sin in a way that his circumstances uniquely equipped (and tempted) him to do. In the preface to this work the author writes, The Mishna (Chagiga: Chapter 1, Mishna 8) likens the laws of Shabbath to mountains hanging by a hair, in that a multitude of precepts and rules, entailing the most severe penalties for their breach, depend on the slightest of indications given by a biblical verse.224. The man has to wait for troubled waters. Jesus immediately heals him, without the use of water. As he walks along carrying his bed on the Sabbath,245 the man is intercepted by the Jewish religious leaders. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 3Under these porches a large number of sick peoplepeople who were blind, lame, or paralyzedused to lie. Have you ever read of any such miracle in the Bible, where an angel somehow energizes the waters, and the first person into the water is healed? 35John was a lamp that gave off brilliant light. After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem () by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [] Bethesda, having five porches. This man is locked in on only one kind of miracle, the miracle of being the first one into the angel-stirred waters. Jesus must know that doing so will identify Him to the authorities and cause Him great trouble (just as He knew that this man had suffered long and hard when He chose to heal himverse 5:6). John 9:1,21 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. If he knows that the Jews have already purposed to kill Jesus (as John tells us in our text), then he turns Jesus over to be killed. Usually they spoke of our Father, and while they might use My Father in prayer they would qualify it with in heaven or some other expression to remove the suggestion of familiarity. Our text has several more lessons to teach us, which I shall briefly mention. 246 There may also be a hint of irony (much more strongly developed in the healing of Jn. He answers for himself, and reproves them, showing by the testimony of his Father, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: John 5:5 A certain man was there who had (Jhn Jo Jn). 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [] paralyzed, [] waiting for the moving of the water. Jesus saw the lame man and knew he was not a new visitor. We, like our Lord, serve out of the depths of the love God has given us for others, regardless of whether that love is reciprocated or rewarded by those whom we serve. i.e. Perhaps it would be helpful to sum up my reservations by encouraging you to see what this miraculous healing by angel-stirred waters might look like if you made a movie of this part of our Lords life. First, it discloses the wickedness of unbelieving Jews, especially of unbelieving Jewish leaders. 6 But Peter said, I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. It is said that when the water of the pool bubbled up, the first sick person to enter the pool would be healed! If and when the waters are actually troubled, no one dares to tell anyone else, for fear they might reach the pool first. 41I dont accept praise from humans. He tells them that the one who commanded him to get up and walk is the one who also commanded him to carry his bed. The paralytic betrays our Lord by identifying Him to the authorities. The pool of Bethesda was discovered in the 19th century under the ruins of a Byzantine church. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. Why then does Jesus find the man in the temple? Before getting too carried away with our laughter, let me say this. As time goes on, their opposition to Jesus only intensifies. The big question is: What are all these ailing people doing at the pool of Bethesda?, Those who know me well understand that I am not predisposed to set certain texts of Scripture aside, simply because they are omitted from a number of highly respected manuscripts.236 For example, in chapter 8 of Johns Gospel, even though the story of the woman caught in adultery is questioned as to whether it is a part of the original text, I am inclined to accept it as such. Judaeos, c. 13. In this light, v. 7 reads less as an apt and subtle response to Jesus question than as the crotchety grumblings of an old and not very perceptive man who thinks he is answering a stupid question.242. Sickness may be the direct result of sin, but it is not always, not necessarily, the case. You are here. Until now, signs and miracles may not have convinced all, but they definitely were instrumental in drawing some to faith. It is our Lords awareness that the paralytic has suffered this way for 38 years. That is, grace is not bestowed upon men because of who they are or what they have done. If He is, then we should accept His words as the very words of God. If Jesus is who He claims to be, then we would expect Him to have authority over sickness, demons, and even death. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV). While Im trying to get there, someone else steps into the pool ahead of me.. When our Lord went to Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (John 2:12-22), He also performed a number of signs, which caused a number to believe in His name (2:23-25). He can carry it for a prescribed distance (just under four amoth), put it down, then take it up, and so on. Some manuscripts and translations add verses 3b4: Only $40 for a year of Bible study with BibleGateway+ enter code FAITH. For example, John 5 is the story of the man who has been lying by the pool of Bethesdahe has had a disability for 38 years. This man is a Judasa betrayer, who turns on Him who has done only good to him. It is completely clear that John claims Jesus is God come down to earth, having taken on human flesh. 7:2 lists thirty-nine classes of work forbidden on a sabbath, the last being taking out aught from one domain into another. An interesting regulation provides that if a man took out a living man on a couch he is not culpable by reason of the couch, since the couch is secondary (Shab. Don't Let Your Life Stagnate. This now seems to be quite certain. Allow me to raise a question which may be on your mind: Why doesnt Jesus heal the others who are ailing at the pool of Bethesda? D. A. Carson adds: The name of the pool is variously attested in the manuscripts as Bethesda, Bethzatha, Belzetha and Bethsaida. It is not without significance that John selects this miracle as further evidence of Jesus identity as the Messiah. They who were complaining of ill health used to watch for him; for whoever was the first to descend into these waters, after his washing ceased to complain (On Baptism V).238. 20 Remember what I told you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. Or, the man could relay it between himself and a fellow-Israelite, each one carrying the object for no more than the prescribed distance. In John 5:1-15, Jesus came to Jerusalem and met a man at the Pool of Bethesda, which is near the Sheep Gate. Jesus finds the man in the temple. 10:5). 196 Making Room for God in Your Life with Tommy Thompson, 195 The Declaration of Spiritual Independence. This incident, and especially our Lords words, give them further incentive for doing this as soon as possible. Since God is working non-stop, the Son is also working, and cannot cease for the Sabbath. John chooses to introduce the theme of opposition here with the story of the healing of the paralytic. That decision has been reached earlier, on an occasion that John does not include in his Gospel. John 5:1-5 explains that the pool of Bethesda was by one of Jerusalem's gates, known as the sheep gate, and was surrounded on five sides by colonnades (covered columns). Knowing what we know, who of us would have selected this fellow to be healed, rather than some other individual? From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. Although the miracles of ch. Sabbath. Jesus enjoins him to break with it and be reconciled to God. Morris, p. 307. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him (Acts 3:1-10). It isnt his fault, he maintains; he is only doing what he has been told to do. (u) De Anima, c. 50. In chapter 8, when Jesus has an animated debate with the Jews and makes the statement, Before Abraham came into existence, I am!, many want to stone Him. And he tells us as well that Jesus claim to be God is the reason why the Jews feel justified in resolving to put Him to death. Nothing more could be done for them. He can do only what he sees the Father doing. They think they see what is important, but in religious matters there are none so blind as those who are always certain that they see (cf. 64-65) may provide some support for this view. Carson, p. 247. 298-299. 44How can you believe when you accept each others praise and dont look for the praise that comes from the only God? 223 Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath, English edition, prepared by W. Grangewood (Jerusalem: Feldheim, 1984). Among them is a man who has been disabled for 38 years. Since there are many ways to understand the healing of this man at the pool of Bethesda, let me present two extremesand then challenge you to choose one or the other, or something in between. The attitude to healing on the sabbath is illustrated by a curious provision that a man may not put vinegar on his teeth to alleviate toothache. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Do not understand me to say that those whom God heals are those who receive grace, and that those who are not healed are those from whom grace has been withheld. If our Lords claim is true, the Jewish authorities cannot and should not hinder the working of the Son of God on the Sabbath. Jesus walked over to a man who couldn't walk and healed him on one of the porches of the Pool of Bethesda. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939), p. 161. 24I can guarantee this truth: Those who listen to what I say and believe in the one who sent me will have eternal life. 194 Who Are You in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Context of the miracle 5:1-5 a. Feast of Israel This is another Sabbath miracle. Unlike the woman at the well in chapter 4, or even Nicodemus in chapter 3, this man seems to have no spiritual insight, no theological content, and definitely no faith.241 Carson doesnt care much for this fellow, as evident in his assessment of him: He tries to avoid difficulties with the authorities by blaming the one who has healed him (v. 11); he is so dull he has not even discovered his benefactors name (v. 13); once he finds out he reports Jesus to the authorities (v. 15). Jesus serves this man who will not be saved. That is, He does not just serve those who will be saved. When Jesus saw him lying down at the floor, Jesus said, "Get up. Jesus did no such thing, here or elsewhere. He does not ask him if he has the faith to be healed. Suddenly, the waters of the pool begin to boil, or bubble, or froth in some way, and pandemonium breaks out. Healing is also the easy thing for Him to do. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. John tells us that Jesus is God (John 1). The healed man is quickly intercepted by the Jews, who inform him that he is breaking the law by carrying his bed on the Sabbath. 46If you really believed Moses, you would believe me. Believing them does save you, and rejecting them proves you worthy of eternal condemnation (hell). Menu. To be true to the text, there would be a very large group of sick and hurting people gathered at the pool of Bethesda. There is a huge crowd of sick people waiting for you back at my mother-in-laws house. A Jewish sailor caught in a storm after sunset on Friday refused to touch the helm though threatened with death. They suppose that they love God and their fellow man, in obedience to the law of Moses. This episode shows us that Jesus' healing power extends beyond our ability to comprehend. The Healing of a paralytic at Bethesda is one of the miraculous healings attributed to Jesus in the New Testament. Indeed, they expect a prominent leadership role in that kingdom. Signs and wonders do not necessarily produce faith, and the faith they do produce is second-class, in and of itself (2:23-25). Wanting to be right, and thinking you are right are not the same as being right. 3 Crowds of sick peopleblind, lame, or paralyzedlay on the porches. The Empty Cup A Man Young And Old: 6. He may, for example, drop the item out of his pocket, but not in the normal or usual fashion (by grasping it, removing it from the pocket, and dropping it on the floor). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, Were Israel properly to observe two Shabbathoth, they would immediately be redeemed (Shabbath 118b). These whacky laws did not come about in a vacuum; they were a legislative attempt to prevent or solve a real problem of some kind. Notice that John does not tell us that from this point on that the Jews are trying to kill Jesus. So grateful is he for his healing that he cannot help but tell others. Sporadic excavations have probed the site for more than a century. 222 J. W. Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Wm. We are inclined to look at these laws and laugh, amazed at how ridiculous they seem. Is the fact that they are at the temple proof of piety? 244 Just as the thirty-eight years prove the gravity of the disease, so the carrying of the bed and the walking prove the completeness of the cure (Barrett, p. 254). Cited by Carson, p. 244. And it is also clear that the Jews understand Him to do so. Note the words of the prophet Isaiah, and compare them not only with the story of the healing of the paralytic in our text, but with the healing of the lame man in Acts 3: 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, Be strong, do not fear! [1] This event is recounted only in the Gospel of John, which says that it took place near the "Sheep Gate" in Jerusalem (now the Lions' Gate ), close to a fountain or a pool called "Bethzatha" in the Novum Testamentum Graece . He honestly doesnt know. This occurred at another Jerusalem pool, the Pool of Bethesda (or Bethzatha or Bethsaida, Movies. Can you imagine the pushing, shoving, and tripping that takes place as every ailing person desperately strives to be the first into the water? Fourth, let us look at a text which deals directly with the question at hand: 29 Now as soon as they left the synagogue they went to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Word gets out, and by evening, a crowd of sick people assemble outside the door. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [] paralyzed, [] waiting for the moving of the water. The One who has just healed him is now the One who is to blame. Moses, the one you trust, is already accusing you. This may be why the man seems almost defensive as he seeks to explain to our Lord why his method didnt work. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda brings about a reaction so strong that the Jews are even more resolved to kill Jesus. In archaeological digs conducted in the 19th century, Conrad Schick discovered a large tank situated about 100 feet (30 m) north-west of St. Anne's Church, which he contended was the Pool of Bethesda. For example, there was the crippled man healed by Peter and John on their way to the temple in Acts 3. When Jesus arrives at the pool, neither this mans pleas or his prayers or his piety fixes our Lords attention on him. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Ending soon! Of course He does. The man then knows that it is Jesus who healed him. Rejecting Him is to remain destined for hell. Even to walk on the grass on the Sabbath was forbidden because it was a species of threshing. How eager all of them would be to believe the stories they heard about miraculous healings at this pool, even if they had never actually seen anyone healed. 5 After () this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus () went up to Jerusalem. Shabbat. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Jerusalem. This is not the watershed incident, which convinces the Jews that Jesus must die. 42But I know what kind of people you are. To these purists, the act of the disciples was a gross desecration of the Sabbath law. Because it is grace, and cannot be earned, it must be sovereignly bestowed. Jesus saw this man and had compassion on him. The first of these is almost certainly right, not only on various transcriptional grounds, but because it is now supported by the corresponding Hebrew name in the Copper Scroll from Qumran, first published in 1960. At this pool Jesus healed a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them. Fourth, this ailing man, whose words in verse 7 are not in dispute, is not a man of faith, and thus his comments about the pool and its alleged magical powers should be considered cautiously. Jesus heals at the pool of Bethesda, a man who had been suffering for 38 years. Those who do evil in the name of doing right are also those who call Jesus evil for being right and doing what is right. about this miracle. Does God really heal someone because he can push and shove and bully his way into the pool first?

Do Parking Tickets Go On Your Record Nj, Casqa Se 8 Cost California, Tssaa Baseball Standings 2023, Abandoned Places In Greensboro Nc, Articles M